Please help me gain weight!

[ChesapeakeBorn]

I cannot eat wheat, dairy, or peanut butter as my exclusively breastfed son has allergic colitis and/or eczema in response to these. I must be very limited with soy because it triggers migraines for me. No chocolate either for the same reason.

I eat about 5 or so meals a day, and some snacks. Lots of the wheat-free alternatives, lots of chicken and turkey, lots of coconut products. Just started eating pork, haven't been eating red meat at all. I'd like to go organic, grass-fed, free-range etc with the meats, but I have to find a source that won't break the bank. This is why I have been limiting the meat somewhat - my conscience. The resources where I am are very limited.

Any ideas, thoughts, recipes, etc would be much appreciated!

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by ChesapeakeBorn

I cannot eat wheat, dairy, or peanut butter as my exclusively breastfed son has allergic colitis and/or eczema in response to these. I must be very limited with soy because it triggers migraines for me. No chocolate either for the same reason.

I eat about 5 or so meals a day, and some snacks. Lots of the wheat-free alternatives, lots of chicken and turkey, lots of coconut products. Just started eating pork, haven't been eating red meat at all. I'd like to go organic, grass-fed, free-range etc with the meats, but I have to find a source that won't break the bank. This is why I have been limiting the meat somewhat - my conscience. The resources where I am are very limited.

Any ideas, thoughts, recipes, etc would be much appreciated!

Lots of healthy fats, like avacado, coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream. You can cook with the coconut products, cook your chicken and turkey in them, make creamy alfredo sauces with them, etc.

Easy coconut alfredo

Open a can of full fat coconut milk, and put it in a pot with half an onion and 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, a bay leaf and pepper. Allow to simmer for 15-20 min while you cook the rest of your meal. Strain and add nutritional yeast (a vegan food that is really good for you and adds flavor, but is completely optional), salt and pepper, garlic powder and cayenne or red pepper flakes or other seasonings of your choice.

Quinoa as a grain replacement? You can do so much with this awesome little psuedograin. Breakfast (like oatmeal) "rice" pudding (with coconut milk), tabbouleh, baked with veggies, stuffed in peppers, stuffed in squash with meat. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Soups with coconut cream to up the fat content.

Start frying with your coconut oil!!! Make tempura with zucchini, sweet potato, and other veggies. Fried chicken?

Almond butter? Are other nuts ok? Pecans, walnuts, macademia, all yummy and full of healthy fats.

What are you eating in a day. Could you write it out? Also, how much do you weigh, and how tall are you? How much do you want to gain?

[kjbrown92]

I can't eat gluten, dairy, soy, corn, chocolate, so I'm in the same boat as you (though I can eat peanut butter, I don't very often). I tracked my food for a couple weeks on fitday.com and found I'm getting 50-60% of my calories every day from fat.

You might want to cross-post over in Allergies for more ideas.

Fruit smoothies (coconut milk, banana, berries, peaches, etc. you can also put supplements in there if you want to; a good probiotic).

I eat a lot of nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, almonds). I eat salad with pine nuts and Craisins almost every day, with balsamic viniagrette dressing.

We do a lot of meat: bacon (then fry cabbage or other things in the bacon grease), sausages, roast beef (w/ gravy), roast chicken (w/ gravy), bone broth (which is very healing and has lots of nutrients in it), etc.

I have lots of recipes on my blog: www.kathysrecipebox.com.

[crunchy_mama]

Well, for me if I was trying to gain weight on my diet which is gf/df/sf as well I would be eating a lot of grains and a lot of homemade baked goods. Of course then personally I wouldn't feel good, but eating carb heavy packs on the weight for me. I can eat until my heart is content w/ tons of good fats, but it doesn't pack the weight on-

[ChesapeakeBorn]

Thank you all so much for your wonderful responses, ideas, and recipes!

crunchy_mama - I'm definitely getting a good dose of carbs because I looove baked goods. I've made GF muffins and cakes. Kinnikinnick donuts are soooo good - I have one just about every day! Just before getting pregnant with my son I was trying to gain a little weight (though not as much) and the only thing that did it for me was having a few Champion Nutrition Heavyweight Gainer 900 shakes with whole milk each day.

kathy - Someone else mentioned bone broth too! I've really got to look into that. I can't wait to check out your blog and get some recipe ideas!

lil_earthmomma - I've been using quinoa here and there, in sweet potato stew and salads. I need to find a bulk source so I can use it more often. I think almonds are okay in moderation, walnuts might be out because they gave DS eczema when he was younger. Maybe I should try them again. I tried sunflower seed butter, but I think he can only tolerate my eating these things in small quantities because of the eczema.

I am almost 5'7" and 107lbs. At least a 10 lb gain would be nice. I have been keeping a food log and here is a sample day:

8:30am- buckwheat cereal with 1/2 banana and 1 cup hemp milk
11:00- egg salad on GF crackers (x5) with 1 cup orange juice
12:45pm- chicken thigh, butternut squash, and roasted root vegetables (leftovers!)
2:15- DF/GF coconut macaroon
4:15- GF waffle with sunflower seed butter, organic smart balance, 1/2 banana, 1 cup orange juice
6:45- rice pasta with chicken pomodoro sauce, field greens and pear salad
8:45- 1/2 cup coconut milk ice cream
10:30- 2 GF oatmeal cookies

Thanks again!

[deditus]

Jeez, girl! You need to eat MORE! I eat about that much, but my nursling is 3! We are gluten, dairy, soy, processed corn, and egg free. Do you have a safe source of nuts/seeds? The trick for me is to add the fat. My veggies are the vehicle for my fat intake and I usually have at least 2 at every meal. If I bake a sweet potato, I put 1 T. of coconut oil on it. I fry root veggies in 1 T. of lard or duck fat for breakfast and eat 3-4 oz of meat with it. Lunch is usually 3-4 oz meat, raw veg salad (with lots of fat in dressing!), leftover root veggies, etc. Snacks are usually fruit, nuts, smoothies with coconut milk, raw veggies with dip (hummus or avocado dip), pate and gf crackers, etc. It gets easier as you go - if you can print out some recipes or snack ideas and put it on the fridge so you have the ideas at your fingertips when you are hungry.

[crunchy_mama]

Originally Posted by deditus

Jeez, girl! You need to eat MORE!

Goodness Gracious I agree! I cannot imagine eating so little, even if I was trying to lose weight, especially w/ a little nursling!

[crunchy_mama]

Originally Posted by ChesapeakeBorn

8:30am- buckwheat cereal with 1/2 banana and 1 cup hemp milkI would drink 2 cups of "milk" and add some meat in there
11:00- egg salad on GF crackers (x5) with 1 cup orange juiceI would be eating about 2x that much w/ some other veggies on the side
12:45pm- chicken thigh, butternut squash, and roasted root vegetables (leftovers!)I would have the thigh and the leg and at least half of a large plate full of those yummy veggies!
2:15- DF/GF coconut macaroon
4:15- GF waffle with sunflower seed butter, organic smart balance, 1/2 banana, 1 cup orange juiceSlather on the coconut oil and the nut butter- and some berries instead of the juice- even some good maple syrup in there as well
6:45- rice pasta with chicken pomodoro sauce, field greens and pear salad
8:45- 1/2 cup coconut milk ice cream1/2 c- come on your trying to gain weight! make it at least a full cup!
10:30- 2 GF oatmeal cookies- girl you have amazing restraint! I would make that 4 cookies!

Thanks again!

Here's what I would be eating if I was trying to gain weight- I honestly don't know how you not losing eating that much, that wouldn't even be enough to keep me full!

[kjbrown92]

Yeah, I'd say double each of those portion sizes. How about some potato chips? Veggie fritters? Fry everything. I'm 5'7" and 117 lbs. so I've got your extra 10 lbs. over here. I eat a lot more than that and I'm not nursing anyone (though I chase 3 kids so I guess I'm a little active, but not much).

Breakfast: 2 eggs fried in coconut oil with a big slice of ham, cup of rooibas tea with honey
Snack: roasted pumpkin seeds with cinnamon-sugar
Lunch: peanut butter on celery (2 long stalks) + smoothie: 1 banana, 1/4 c. pineapple juice, 1/4 c. coconut milk yogurt, 1/2 c. strawberries
Another snack: 1 c. Cape Cod potato chips
And another snack: another smoothie, same as the first
Dinner: 2 c. rice pasta with 1/2 c. green olives, 3 Tbs. onion, 2 cloves garlic sauteed in olive oil, 2 broccoli/chickpea fritters.
Another snack: 1 c. orange juice and still looking for something else.... maybe more peanut butter and celery

I know you can't have the peanut butter, but maybe you could have almond butter of sunflower seed butter or cashew butter or something. You need more fat.

[ChesapeakeBorn]

Whoa. So why on earth am I not hungry then? I have always just eaten when I am hungry, but this obviously isn't working! There must be something wrong with my appetite button!!!

[kjbrown92]

I wonder if you're high in copper? I actually have to make myself eat. I'm hardly ever hungry until about 4pm.